Tim Allan is back as Santa Clause, and this time he is on a mission… to find a wife. The Santa Clause 2 is a good family Christmas tale, and though it is not as effective as its predecessor, it still has Christmas charm and a number of cute scenes. The story is a little flawed, and many scenes rely on childish antics to survive, but those elements add to the family-friendly nature of the film.
- ” Scott Calvin (Allen) has been Santa Claus for the past eight years, and his loyal elves consider him the best …ne ever. But Scott’s got problems. His son Charlie has landed on this year’s “naughty” list, and if Scott doesn’t marry by Christmas Eve — one very, very short month away — he’ll stop being Santa forever. Embracing Christmas and the magic of family with heart, warmth, fun, and charm, SANTA CLAUSE 2 is classic holiday entertainment everybody will enjoy again and again.” – Disney
Audio
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is full of life… which is rare for a family Christmas comedy. The soundstage is full of activity, with very good left-right sound movement. The surround and .1 channels are used accurately to set a nice dynamic feel to the film. Lastly, dialog is clear, and well focused.
Video
The THX-certified 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer on this disc looks great. The colors are rich and accurate, and the darks add some nice contrast to the film. The transfer is also free from all defects (dust, debris, scratches, and edge enhancements). There is some video noise in a couple of scenes, but nothing that detracts from the film.
Special Features
Similarly to the film, the extras on this disc are very family-friendly…
- Audio Commentary: Director Michael Lembeck lends his voice to this entertaining track. Lembeck acts as though all of the characters are real, and that the film was really shot at the North Pole with the real Santa and Elves. This is humorous, and will be enjoyed by most, but all lends very little pertinent information..
- Three Featurettes: Inside the North Pole with Curtis (10:00) is a very cute featurette that follows the 2nd head elf on his day-to-day activities on the set. You get a number of interviews, and some funny commentary where everyone acts as though the actors are the real characters they portray. True Confessions of the Legendary Figures (4:00) is a short extra that brings together the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Father Time, Cupid, and Mother Nature to settle their on-set differences. Director’s Tour of Elfsburg (4 minutes) is a featurette that tours the set during the filming of the battle sequence.
- Deleted Scenes: The 7 deleted scenes, each with their own director’s introduction, are good, but were wisely cut to maintain the flow of the film.
- Also included on this disc are trailers, a gag reel, and a fun game called Operation Toybox: Save Santa.
Final Thoughts
This is a good film to watch with the family around Christmas. It partners well with the original Santa Clause, and is set up in a nice little DVD package. The extras are fun, and the video/audio are good as well. Recommended.
Special Features List
- Audio Commentary
- Three Featurettes
- Deleted Scenes
- Gag Reel
- Game
- Trailers
